The present invention relates to protection of furniture, fixtures, cabinets, shelves, display shelving, outdoor entranceways, parking lot areas, sidewalks, pedestrian walkways and the like from impact with shopping carts, carriages, cleaning appliances, transport carts, dolleys, vehicles and the like which are rolled or driven around on a walking or driving surface that located in, around or outside retail store, office building and other relatively heavily trafficked environments.
Retail stores, parking lots, office and residential are often heavily trafficked areas where people move about on a floor or pavement surface pushing a cart or appliance or driving a vehicle. Display cases, shelves, counters and furniture installed within a retail store environment such as a food market or entranceways and sidewalks disposed around heavily trafficked buildings are prone to being unintentionally hit or otherwise invaded by a cart, cleaning appliance or moving vehicle that is being pushed or driven by a person occupying or moving around in such areas. Upright bumpers can be installed at selected locations adjacent or near the displays, shelves, furniture et al. for reducing the occurrence of impact. Conventional upright bumpers typically comprise rails or posts affixed to a mounting plate that is secured to the ground for mounting the bumper.
In accordance with the invention there is provided an apparatus for mounting an upright elongated tube, the elongated tube extending from a receiving end to an opposing distal end, the receiving end comprising an open aperture and a hollow tubular receiving portion having an axis and an inner wall surface radially disposed relative to the axis, the apparatus comprising:
a mounting disc having an axis and one or more circumferential surfaces or projections for mating with the inner wall surface of the hollow tubular receiving portion of the elongated tube under friction or pressure,
the disc being mounted within the hollow tubular portion with the one or more circumferential surfaces mated with the inner wall surface such that the axis of the disc is substantially aligned with or parallel to the axis of the hollow tubular receiving portion of the elongated tube; and,
one or more mounting struts each having a longitudinal axis, the one or more struts being rigidly interconnected to the disc wherein the longitudinal axis of the hollow tubular receiving portion of the elongated tube is substantially aligned with or parallel to the axes of the one or more struts and the struts extend beyond the open end when the disc is mounted within the hollow tubular portion.
The disc typically comprises a plurality of discs rigidly interconnected to each other, the discs being arranged in parallel series to each other, each disc having an axis and being substantially coaxial.
The circumferential projections of each disc comprise one or more flanges extending radially outwardly from one or more selected locations around the circumference of one or more of the discs, the flanges being bendable under pressure to mate with the inner surface of the hollow tubular portion.
The one or more struts each have an outer circumferential surface that is receivable within one or more complementary apertures disposed within a ground surface for mounting the elongated tube in an upright orientation.
Preferably the elongated tube has an axial tube length wherein the disc (or multiple discs) is mounted within the hollow tubular portion extending from the open end along an axial length of the hollow tubular portion that is less than about one third of the axial tube length.
In another aspect of the invention there is provided an upright tubular bumper comprising:
an elongated tube extending from a receiving end to an opposing distal end, the receiving end comprising an open aperture and a hollow tubular receiving portion having an axis and an inner wall surface radially disposed relative to the axis,
a disc having an axis and one or more corresponding circumferential surfaces or projections for mating with the inner wall surface of the hollow tubular receiving portion of the elongated tube under friction or pressure,
the disc being mounted within the hollow tubular portion with the one or more circumferential surfaces mated with the inner wall surface such that the axis of the disc is substantially aligned with or parallel to the axis of the hollow tubular receiving portion of the elongated tube; and,
one or more mounting struts each having a longitudinal axis, the one or more struts being rigidly interconnected to the disc wherein the longitudinal axis of the hollow tubular receiving portion of the elongated tube is substantially aligned with or parallel to the axes of the one or more struts and the struts extend beyond the open end when the disc is mounted within the hollow tubular portion.
The tube that receives the mount is preferably comprised of a high impact resistant plastic or polymeric material.
The hollow tubular portion of the tube typically has an inner circumference having a diameter which is less than the diameter or maximum radially extending length of the disc or plurality of discs that are inserted within the hollow tubular portion of the tube to be mounted. Thus the mounting disc or plurality of discs are force fitted within the hollow tubular portion of the tube such that, once inserted, the mounting disc or assembly of discs is rigidly mounted within the tube under pressure. The mounting disc or plurality of discs and their associated circumferential surfaces or projections are typically comprised of a rigid but bendable metal material such as light gauge sheet metal.
In one embodiment, the mounting mechanism comprises two or more discs of sheet metal material having slots extending from select locations around the outer circumference of the discs in a radial direction toward the center of the discs. One leg of a bent or flanged strip of sheet metal can be disposed within the radially extending slots of the discs. The other leg of the flanged strip is bent at angle in relation to the one leg of the strip, and the radial slots are arranged such that the other leg of the metal strips project radially outward from the center of the disc a distance that is slightly greater than the inner diameter of the hollow tubular portion of the tube to be mounted.
In another aspect of the invention there is provided an apparatus for mounting an elongated tube, the elongated tube extending from a receiving end to an opposing distal end, the receiving end comprising an open aperture and a hollow tubular receiving portion having a longitudinal axis and an inner wall surface radially disposed relative to the longitudinal axis, the apparatus comprising:
a mount having an axis comprising one or more radially extending members having circumferential surfaces or projections for mating with the inner wall surface of the hollow tubular receiving portion of the elongated tube under friction or pressure,
the mount being received within the hollow tubular portion of the elongated tube wherein the one or more circumferential surfaces are friction fit against the inner wall surface of the hollow tubular receiving portion of the elongated tube such that the axis of the mount is substantially aligned with or parallel to the axis of the hollow tubular receiving portion of the elongated tube; the mount including one or more legs each leg having a longitudinal axis, the one or more legs being rigidly interconnected to the radially extending members wherein the longitudinal axis of the hollow tubular receiving portion of the elongated tube is substantially aligned with or parallel to the axes of the one or more legs.